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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: MackyM on 30 January 2006, 12:32
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A month ago my car didn't smoke at all. Then it began to smoke on idle after sitting for 5 minutes or so. Now it's smoking after a few seconds on idle. Can the valve stems/guides deteriorate that quickly - I always thought these problems would gradually come on. Is something more seriously possibly happening?? :undecided:
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What colour smoke is it? And are you sure some of it's not steam from condensation?
Since I got a full stainless system, with larger tailpipes, the ammount of stram that's pushed out in v.cold damp weather is obscene!
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mine puffs smoke out like a chimney, its pure white and it runs well enough so I'm not ar$ed at the moment!
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Blue and stinks of oil I'm afraid :sad:
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Ah, blue & stinks of oil you say? Not ever a good thing, I'm lead to believe. Probably will be your piston rings or maybe valve stems. Seems strange to come on so suddenly, but I suppose if it was going to it'd have to @ some point. Maybe it's been really gradual for the last week or so and fairly unnoticeable?
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Won't be rings if its smoking on idle, does it smoke when you put your foot in the carpet?
I'd put nuff money on it being guides.  Does it give a puff of smoke when you start it from hot, say, when you fill up with petrol?
Think we've been here before? :rolleyes:
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my valver has given out a puff of smoke after filling up a couple of times in the last few months (this only happens after giving a serious bit of welly down the A3). i notice now as well when reversing you get a distinct smell of burning oil. doesn't seem to be using much oil up at all though. i noticed yeterday as well a nice film of oil over my panel filter which has happened before.
hopefully getting the car into my mechanic some time this week so i'd appreciate some opinions beforehand :undecided:
sorry for hi-jacking this thread :laugh:
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Yep, I'm pretty sure its the stems/guides I was just concerned at how suddenly it manifested itself.
Went to a garage today for a rough quote. Guy said that, depending on how many guides/stems needed replacing I would be looking at £300 plus. Does this seem about right??
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I was quoted about the same to have mine done, about £160 he reckoned for just the seals but I reckon if you're gonna do it may as well get the lot done while its off.
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How's this for a theory? The smoking began at exactly the same time as I was using a petrol additive that removes carbon from the valves to improve performance. I reckon carbon was the only thing keeping the oil in! If I'm right then its likely just to be the seals that need replacing and not the guides? Does that make logical sense?
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Mate, How many times!!! IT IS YOUR VALVE GUIDES! It'll need doing sooner rather than later any way! £300 notes sounds pretty cheap. Don't skimp, get all the guides done for what its going to cost. There is no point saying maybe this.........maybe that etc. It needs fixing so get your wallet out!
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If your a bit handy around the engine you can do a wet & dry compression check, you will need a compression tester £15.00 from E- bay or Halfords, a spark plug socket and some oil, usually engine oil will do in a small dispenser.
1. Firstly remove the HT lead from the coil to the dizzy cap (This ensures the engine doesn't startup when testing)
2. Remove the plug and HT lead nearest the cambelt and insert the compression tester, ensuring it is tight and threaded correctly.
3. Crank engine over with ignition 3 or 4 times and record reading.
4. Remove tester and squirt a little oil into the cylinder, again repeat compression test ensuring that U reset the compression tester with each cylinder
5. Replace with plug and HT lead.
6. Then proceed working left to right repeating steps 2 to 5 until you have tested all 4 cylinders.
Once this is completed you can compare readings on each cylinder, ideally all 4 cylinders should be +/- 5% of each other with & without the oil, i don't know offhand the compression settings for thsi model but it should be around 110 to 120 psi, the reason for the oil is to seal the rings if worn.
If you notice a significant difference between the dry test and wet, wet should always be better you may have to fit a set of rings, this will involve a weekend's worth of work, hopefully U won't.
I'll post later on the settings for both the 8 & 16 valve compression settings.
Hope this helps
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Mate, How many times!!!  IT IS YOUR VALVE GUIDES!  It'll need doing sooner rather than later any way!  Â£300 notes sounds pretty cheap. Don't skimp, get all the guides done for what its going to cost. There is no point saying maybe this.........maybe that etc.  It needs fixing so get your wallet out! ÂÂÂ
LOL! Ok mate, point taken.
Systemseiko - thanks for all the info - I certainly understand the principle, but with my mechanical skills I'd be more likely to give myself a kidney transplant with a spoon. Garage I'm afraid.
This is the weirdest bit anyway: The car has stopped smoking. It has plenty of oil, I still let it idle/gun it as much as ever, but no smoke. wtf is going on??? :huh:
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16V is right, it's the valve guides, usually expand and retract with temperature, thsu allowing small amounts of oil to perodically deposit into the combustion chamber, this may only be apparent in 1 or 2 cylinders
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Mine used do do it on & off, you'll find it don't do so much , if at all when cold. But when its warm it'll chuff out smoke like a steam trian, mine got worse all of a sudden, to the point where clouds of blue smoke were drifting past me at traffic lights :shocked: & it was using 1ltr of oil a week!!
Btw, get your tappets done while your mecahic is in there, get a new cambelt & tensioner too. Seems like a lot of dosh, but if your old cambelt fails it'll cost you a sh!t load more. :nerd: